By: Taylor Christensen | Royal Oak Review | Published February 10, 2026
ROYAL OAK — Royal Oak Eagle Scout candidate Connor Wielgat proposed to build an 10-foot-tall, freestanding nesting tower for chimney swifts at the Fred A. Erb Arboretum to the City Commission Jan. 26.
The project is intended to complete his Eagle Scout service project, and to provide homes for the chimney swift bird.
Wielgat is a senior at Shrine High School and a member of the Royal Oak Scouting group, according to the agenda packet.
Wielgat approached the city and the Royal Oak Nature Society and proposed the project. Then city staff coordinated with nature society representatives to evaluate potential locations.
Kevin Yee, director of the Department of Public Services, and Bob Muller, president of the Royal Oak Nature Society, worked together to find an appropriate location for the nesting tower.
The two found a location that includes appropriate clearances from trees and other conditions important to the successful nesting of chimney swifts, according to the proposal.
“Given the scouts required timeline, including approval, construction, and final review prior to his 18th birthday this spring, staff provided administrative approval for the project to proceed, subject to the identified location and design parameters,” the proposal document reads.
Wielgat was invited to do the brief presentation at the Jan. 26 meeting to highlight the project and discuss its benefits.
“Over the last 50 years or so there has been a decline in chimneys, and so this bird has kind of become a threatened species,” Wielgat said during his presentation. “Over the summer I did some volunteer work with the Royal Oak Nature Society, and it was brought to my attention that they were looking for someone to put up a chimney swift tower.”
Wielgat said that the tower serves as a home for the chimney swifts and is meant to imitate a chimney.
“It will be located in the Fred A. Erb Arboretum and construction should begin soon. It should be finished by sometime in the summer. I’ve been working with the city and with the nature society to get this finished up, and it’s something I’ve been looking forward to and something I have been passionate about,” he said. “It’s really been great for me to see all of the kind and amazing things that have already come out of it so far, and we haven’t even started putting things together yet. So, I encourage you all to come visit it when it’s finished.”
Mayor Michael Fournier congratulated Wielgat on his journey to becoming an Eagle Scout.
“I can really feel your passion. And personally, I can say I learned something from you today. I am not even sure if I knew what a chimney swift was, let alone how they live and what they need to thrive,” Fournier said. “This has been pretty interesting for us.”
Fournier gave the commissioners an opportunity to ask questions of Wielgat.
“Connor, can you tell us about your Scouting journey and what being an Eagle Scout means to you?” commissioner Brandon Kolo asked.
“Scouting has been a major part of my life. It’s always been there for me. I’ve gotten a lot out of Scouting and I’ve also given a lot to Scouting,” he said. “I went from a young Scout learning new and different things, and I’ve kind of transitioned into more of a role as a leader.”
Wielgat also said the opportunities to connect and serve his community have pushed him to continue in Scouting.
“I wouldn’t be who I am today without it,” he said.
Wielgat said that the project is going to be bigger than he imagined, but working with the nature society and the city has helped to make it more within reach.
“It’s going to be a lot of work. It’s a lot of talking with people, but I am very grateful for it and I’m grateful for all of the people in the city who have made this process quite painless,” he said. “Honestly, it’s been great working with everyone and I am really appreciative of it.”
Commissioner Paul Bastian asked when people should be looking for the bird to arrive.
“Well, it’s really up to them (the birds) if they like it or not,” Wielgat said. “Hopefully, by the end of the year they will decide it’s a great home for them. It will be up sometime in May. You can’t miss it; it will be 10 feet tall. But I am really hoping that the birds enjoy it and we create a home for this unique species.”
The project will not cost the city any money, and the complete list of plans can be found within the proposal packet at romi.gov.